1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trailer that can be towed behind a vehicle and used on railroad tracks for transporting rail sections that are to be replaced in a railroad track.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various trailer type vehicles have been used for hauling railroad ties and rail sections, as well as other equipment on railroad tracks, and which are adapted for use either on tracks or on the road.
A track trailer of this general type is sold by The Nolan Company of Bowerston, Ohio. The Nolan track trailer has steel wheels for supporting it on a railroad track, as well as a pair of wheels having tires for road use. The track trailer includes a bed, a winch, and a roller support at the rear, as well as rail section clamps at the front and rear. The Nolan trailer also includes removable end gates. In the normal operation, rail sections will be clamped onto the trailer bed and the outer end of the rail sections will be used for attaching a hitch or towing tongue directly to the rail section. Then a pickup truck or vehicle suitably equipped with steel wheels for running on rails in a normal manner will be hitched to the leading end of the rail section and the trailer located at the midsection of the rail, will support the rail section as the trailer is towed down the railroad track. One of the problems is that the curves on railroad tracks sometimes vary, and the rigid connection of the rail sections to the trailer may cause the wheels of the trailer to jump the tracks, causing the need for retracking, and not only tying up the track, but also delaying replacement of rail sections. In the prior art the rails are fixedly secured relative to the trailer bed, and if the curve of the track is too sharp, one set of the steel wheels will jump the track because the rails are rigidly connected to the trailer.
The winch in prior art trailers is low down, on a level of the trailer bed, and does not provide a good mechanical advantage for lifting rails, nor is it positioned so that it is out of the way for operation when the rails are extended along the bed and extend out beyond the winch itself in a forwardly direction.
The prior art trailers have removable end gates, which are placed on the trailer bed while rail sections are being moved. They are in the way, and can be lost. The present device overcomes the problems associated with using this type of a trailer for hauling rails.